Base card is pink followed by grey backing paper from papermania exquisite stack. Then the panels are pink (same as base) and grey (same as bg paper) which I've also torn and distressed with a grey metallic ink. Final layer of the panel is pink....starburst stains lol!I also coloured the sticky pearls grey. Image is sugar nellie postbox coloured with promarkers and copics. The pink dots on the image are coloured with sakura stardust in pink so they're sparkly as is the letter she's holding.Thanks for lookin!

Tuesday, 25 August 2009

This time at T'Sugar Bowl is a sketch by Judy and to make handmade flowers. Also if they hit 200 entries they'll give away 2 prizes!

This is sweet n sassy by sugar nellie coloured with a mix of copics and pro markers. Background papers are K&Co which have been distressed and handmade flowers are K&Co (same as base background) and go on you guessed it - starburst stains! They're a mix of rhododendron red rose and yellow rose of texas which make this gorgeous pinky orange together :)

Monday, 24 August 2009

I thought I'd give Willy a run out this week in all his glory! Normally I hide him in the leaves on my designs but he's centre stage today! I've cut him out of an oval mounted on cathedral pines starburst stains (what else lol lol!) Then I've inked round him in adirondack lights - Juniper and added faux stitching with a sparkly green sakura pen. The background papers are papermania exquisite pack and err not sure about the green but probably K&Co. The card was already embossed so I inked round that too and stamped a sentiment and added a hero arts flower with a ribbon rose that has a diamante centre. Willy is coloured with a mix of copics and pro markers. He's also available free so if you want him pop over to Victoria Case

This is my DT entry for this fortnights challenge which is complimentary colours. They sit opposite each other on the colour wheel so if you haven't read colour theory and know how they all work together then pop on over to the Crafty Cardmakers blog as I wrote a tutorial on it! We are also very generously sponsored by La Pashe who have given us an enormous prize worth £50 including all their new Flippin' Christmas range and full sets of the Flippin' Women and Flippin' babies wow!

For the challenge I chose a red and green combo deliberately avoiding Christmas. I think people get that fed up of making Xmas cards that they can't face red and green at any other time which is a shame as they work beautifully together. Rose has also done a red-green combo for her scrapbook DT entry so go have a peep as its fabulous (as always!)

The stamp I used is by Sugar Nellie and is called Fragile Beauty. I inked around the oval using adirondack lights ink - Juniper. These are very subtle so you build colour up gradually. I coloured the image with copics and added faux stitching with a sakura pen. I WILL do real stitching but I just can't get along with the sew crafty mini so will get something else!

The oval is handcut because I'd rather have more pens than nesties :) They are red cardstock and cathedral pines starburst stains.

The gorgeous background papers are from a 8x8 scrapbook set, has 2 scrapbooks with it that look like a set of drawers. I've no idea who its by so someone can enlighten me!

The large flower is dyed with starburst stains in maidenhair fern green and the red flowers are from stash and I've had them forever!

Sunday, 23 August 2009

Image was distressed with distress inks in antique linen and vintage photo and coloured with copics. Papers are Papermania exquisite stack and K&Co. Stamped sentiment and swirl and added large mulberry flower which I've swiped with brilliance coffee bean ink. Added a ribbon blossom, I'm still not very good at them but getting a bit better lol!

Oh yes they have opened their doors! Check out the gorgeous new Anyone for Anya blog!

Their opening challenge is sugar and spice, mmmm nice!

I edged the Anya image with adirondack pink and coloured with copics and promarkers. The background paper is K&Co and the sentiment is a freebie stamp from do crafts creativity mag a couple of months back. Matting is... go on you must know by now...starburst stains lol! Ribbon is from stash, I liked its spicy colour and flowers are also from stash.Good luck girls, your blog is sure to go down a storm!Oooh my entry is my lucky number 9!

Your next stamp are looking for 6 new DT members and want to see your 2 best cards. Go check their shop out as it has some gorgeous lil stamps in (and copics!)

I'm going to go with these two...

First is Pink and Brown Daisy. She's coloured with distress inks and her patches and top are paper pieced to match the matting.

Background papers are various AMM & Bo Bunny and the clear buttons have been sewn onto paper matching the matting and also the sentiment. Added some glass beads and a charm.

Second card is a Victoria Case baby Lion coloured with copic markers. I added clear gloss to the water and touches of stickles glitter to make it sparkly and shiny. The green background is starburst stains bells of ireland green overstamped with a stampscapes palm frond stamp. The palm trees are made with bits of brown card shaded with copics and highlighted with a white pen and the palm leaves are starburst stains in cathedral pines green. The coconuts are cut from brown card then I glued cotton wool on and dyed them with starburst stains (one of the browns) then when dried I fluffed them up so they look like a shaggy coconut lol! Wording is from a dymo :)

The challenge this week at Roses on Paper is Autumn colours - red, Orange and brown yum! I'm teaming it with the Just Magnolia challenge which is a sketch by Rachel Jakes this week. If you pop over to Rachels blog you'll also find candy! Be quick though as it closes on 23rd!

The image I recently got in an image swap, I'm kinda liking it so it will be one for the collection. Its coloured with copics and highlighted with sakura souffle. I've also added distress ink in antique linen as trhe white card really glared and didnt look right! The background papers are by K&Co and Papermania and the circle and matting are starburst stains (I know I know I cant help it lol!) Oh and the base card is Moonshadow ink :-DRed flowers are part of a Victoria Case design and I added orange mulberry flowers on top.

Friday, 21 August 2009

Ooooh The stampman has blog candy AND it contains starburst stains yippee! Do I *need* more starburst stains? Hell yeah! I can go through a set in a weekend when I'm making papers to use for backgrounds and book covers!

Here's whats up for grabs :D

Set of French Country Starburst StainsFour rolls (2 metres each) of Paper LaceVarious sizes of doiliesPack of tagsSquare Tab Chippie AlbumLuxury pack of mixed yarns and ribbonsVariety of ribbons15 sheets of cardCard of various yarnsMoonglow DVD for techniques

Been having a tinker with starburst stains, blending solution and alcohol ink so thought I'd show ya!

Starburst stains can be mixed with alcohol blending solution so that it dries on non porous surfaces like dominoes. You can mix the starburst stains powder with the blending solution but the mixture is bitty as the SS needs hot water to melt so I mixed the already made SS with some blending solution and added this to a domino. Dont heat set too close or it blows off the edges, just nice and steady at a distance, add more gently with a paintbrush or you'll pull the colour back off. Gives you a nice sparkly surface to play on!

Then you need to stamp and emboss a design, butterflies work well :)

Then using a small paintbrush dip it into some blending solution and gently paint over the wing area, dab off with a wipe.

Do this gently several times, paint on dab off and the base colour will lift off like this.

Some of your finer lines may also come off, dont worry thats good as it lets the next colours spreadout more! When you've taken off the base colour from inside the wings paint it with the blending solution and using a paintbrush drop in some alcohol inks. The blending solution makes them spread out forming nice pwitty patterns!

This one was made by painting blending solution, dropping alcohol ink then a drop of blending solution and quickly heat setting then repeating with the ink which spreads then blending solution which makes the circles then heating. Finished it with a layer of dimensional glaze and some beadazzles :)

Sunday, 16 August 2009

Have made this one for the Whiff of Joy challenge this week which is pink and brown.Background papers have angels on, not sure who made it, might have been a Bo Bunny. WOJ Melinda is coloured with copics then I coloured over with versamark pen and embossed and rubbed adirondack shell pink pushing in from the edges. Sentiment was a freebie from do crafts mag a couple of issues back, isnt that nice for a freebie!

Friday, 14 August 2009

Oh how chuffed was I to see the theme at stampin' for the weekend is days gone by! I love love love doing aged, vintage type cards with modern materials (starburst stains!)Also at The Pink Elephant this week their challenge is to use Turquoise, Brown & neutral.Also entering for the Allsorts challenge which is vintage.

Background paper is a vintage green which I distressed with scissors and distress ink (vintage photo) and the vertical panel is made with SS in turquoise, brown and a touch of green. I just blew it around with the heat gun in puddles and added more until I got a nice pattern then chucked it through the cuttlebug :) The horizontal panel is SS in opal sea oats with some sprays of moonshadow ink in pirate plunder gold. The image is stamped with moonglow midnight sapphire on SS in turquoise and brown and the edges distressed with distress ink in faded jeans is it called? Not sure but its the same colour as Molly's eyes! Text is stamped on moonshadow ink, flowers have been distressed and the leaves already were!I'm happy, I got inky messy fingers and I managed to get it ourt in the post all in the same day whoop go me!

Not sure what the stamp is called but it was a simple expressions plate.

Wednesday, 12 August 2009

I was going to enter this for Midnight Madness sketch challenge but I'm too late but hey ho I had fun doing sumfink different :D

Was giving a couple of my new starburst stains a run out!

Background is starburst stains in red hot poker orange and bachelor buttons blue. The orange has been overstamped with chinese text and the blue has been cuttlebug embossed and the little squares glued on. The flowers are leftovers from that and are known as lollipop flowers where you just rip, scrunch and place them on.

The image background is the 2 starburst stains swiped with gesso then more SS added then I stamped the bird from the simple expressions the orient plate on and embossed with moonglow midnight emerald EP

Tuesday, 11 August 2009

Because I'm in one of those moods :) I see one and think oooh lovely then another then another then I cant make a decision so I'll probably change it a few more times over the next week or so until I settle on one (well for a while!)

Thought I'd also show some pics I took recently too :)

Ethan taking a break on our bike ride

Molly taking a break on our bike ride

This is an old queen bee that spent the afternoon walking round the garden. She was so big she was flattening the grass! Next doors cat took too much of an interest in her, bit of a no win situation really. Either the cat would kill her or she'd sting the cat and die anyway but actually she's left the hive to die off anyway so I moved her out of harms way to go in peace :)

Ethan has a trajectory Schema and likes lining things up!The wonderful British weather!

Check this out for a fantabulous blog candy offer from Priscillastyles - Home of the "Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge"

FROM "STAMPIN UP"!!!!1.A BRAND NEW BIG SHOT DIE-CUT MACHINEgrand prize to one winner!2.A BRAND NEW DOCTORS DIE-CUT BAGadded to the grand prize when we hit 300 comments!3.TWO TEXTURED IMPRESSIONS EMBOSSING FOLDERSwill be added as a bonus prize only if the “Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge Logo” is posted on the winners blog's side bar. Note: you are NOT required to play in the challenges…this is a non Midnight Madness GIVE AWAY, but I do appreciate the support for our sketch challenges :)

Monday, 10 August 2009

I know disgusting isnt it! I've had her about a month and just not got round to using her yet until now yippee! I think I'm getting some practice in for Dawny P's new blog Anyone for Anya opening on the 23rd, go check it out its pwitty pwitty! I really must start using my Anyas more as they are lovely stamps and stamp beautifully!

Background paper is K&Co and the purple circle is DCWV. Amya is coloured with copics and I've added purple sticky gems to the bow in her hair & buttons on shorts. Also gave her a haircut which is a tip I picked up on Mel Stampz blog. Flowers are from a victoria case design coloured with copics and I added mulberry paper plowers to the centres and touched them with stickles glitter glue.

The image is Victoria Case baby lion (cute isnt he!) and I coloured with copic markers. I added clear gloss to the water and touches of stickles glitter to make it sparkly and shiny. The green background is starburst stains bells of ireland green overstamped with a stampscapes frond stamp. The palm trees are made with bits of brown card shaded with a white pen and the palm leaves are starburst stains in cathedral pines green. The coconuts are cut from brown card then I glued cotton wool on and dyed them with starburst stains (one of the browns) then when dried I fluffed them up so they look like a shaggy coconut lol! Wording is from a dymo :)

Must tell you, I showed this one in playgroup and someone asked if it was colouring by numbers....Oh how I laughed :-/

And here is my design for the first challenge on Crafty Cardmakers which is blossoms, to use any kind of flowers in your design :)I thought I'd go back to basics with this one and use peel offs. There are some gorgeous peel offs around and they're handy for one off cards if you dont want to fork out for a stamp. I used a vase design which came on the sheet and stuck it onto card and cut it out. I coloured it with copic markers and added some extra pansy heads with 3d foam to add more dimension. I used a separate piece of card and rubbed pink adirondack ink with some cut and dry foam and added doodles to the edges and attached the peel off. The green panel I also distressed with scissors and ink and I added extra pansy heads in the corner and knotted some ribbon to act as leaves. The ribbon was coloured with copics to match as were the gems and the peel off sentiment.

I'm a stamper through and through but I do enjoy pulling out the peel offs from time to time and showing there's more life in them than plonking them onto a card :)

Sunday, 9 August 2009

The challenge over at the sugar bowl is a sketch by Marlene with doodles to be added. I decided to make a card wallet using the sugar nellie gorjuss girl flower girl which is my fav of them all.

I started with the base card and coloured with maidenhair fern green and alpine rise starburst stains and overstamped with a flower stamp then I added the papers which have been distressed with brilliance coffee bean ink. The image was coloured with copics then I coloured over the top with versamark pen, oh yes versamark in a pen! Got it from Joanna Sheen last week. I then added clear embossing powder and it adds a lovely shine to just the area you colour, in this case the image.

I had rubbed adirondack (I always forget the colour but its pink!) ink around the image then brilliance for a pinky aged look and added doodles. I then used the card I had cut my circle out of as a mask and sprayed it with moonglow glitz spritz in pink, it wont stick to the stamped image coz thats shiny remember!

Added the flowers which I had dragged out of the back of my cupboard earlier on today having been inspired to give them a new lease of life by Tab. Already had the papermania ones which I coloured with copics but my mulberry flowers haven't seen daylight for a loooooong time! I was looking at them and thinking "What does Tab say? Glimmer mist and glamour dust..."

Hmmm OK I not got them but I did have moonglow glitz spritz and pigment powders so used them and made some leaf things :D

This is the inside which is the starburst stains overstamped with the flower ready to be filled with goodies :)